‘All fathers want to think their girls are pure, even if their daughter is forty.’
Annalise sniffed. ‘I’ve ruined everything.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
Annalise stared into the distance. ‘I’m not even his type.’
James’s?
‘Yeah. We’re so different yet She shrugged. ‘We work, you know? I’ve never met anyone like him.’
‘James is a great guy, but he’s got a lot going on. I’m sure he wouldn’t deliberately hurt or upset you. It’s just—’
‘He’s been nothing but kind and sweet to me!’ Annalise raised her voice, then it softened. ‘We’re in love.’
Claire wanted to wrap her arms around Annalise, the young girl with stars in her eyes. Her life was so very different to James’s. She’d just finished school and was working in the cinema. James had been acting all over the world since he was fourteen. The pair were a complete mismatch, so how on earth could they ever work as a couple? Claire prayed this wasn’t a one-sided love affair because if so, poor Annalise was about to get her heart trampled on.
‘Annalise!’ Robert stood in the doorway of the cinema. ‘In here! Now!’
She gave Claire a sad smile, then hightailed it into the cinema. The door slammed shut and the lights under the marquee turned off, leaving most of the street in darkness.
Phil stood beside Claire and gently nudged her with his elbow. ‘Sorted?’
‘About as sorted as a bag of pretzels.’
* * *
Claire gripped the steering wheel of the ute as she negotiated the winding road that took her out of Ashton and away from the unease in the small town. The beauty of the cane fields, towering eucalyptus trees and rolling hills did nothing to allay her rising anxiety. She’d done her best to negotiate with Robert Dennis, but he’d refused to give in. He didn’t care about the production company’s legal team threatening him, as his pride and willingness to fight for his daughter’s heart overrode everything else. Claire admired his resolve in trying to protect Annalise but if he didn’t rethink things, he’d end up with nothing but the shirt on his back. He was a good man with a lovely family who deserved to catch a break. His cinema had been on the verge of closing until the production company had hired it. A legal battle and knowing about his daughter’s torrid affair were the last things he needed.
In the meantime, Nigel and the team had rearranged the schedule and started shooting scenes outside Ashton, taking James far, far away from Annalise and her irate father.
She guided the vehicle north, hoping that each passing kilometre would lead her closer to a solution. But her belief she could fix this problem dwindled dramatically as time wore on. If she couldn’t get a yes from Robert, then plan B had to come through. If it didn’t, then …
Her mobile phone rang, and she jumped. Would she ever get used to being contactable on the road? Although it was convenient not having to find public phone booths every step of the way.
Pulling over to the side of the road, she answered.
‘Hello?’ She was met with intense crackling. ‘Hello?’
‘It’s me,’ Phil said through the noise. ‘So … any luck?’
‘I’m ten minutes away.’ Claire took a long swig from her drink bottle. ‘Please tell me you’re ringing to say Robert’s changed his mind.’
Silence.
‘Phil?’
A distant voice came down the line. ‘No chance.’
She didn’t know why she’d thought it would be any different. ‘How’s Annalise?’
‘She’s fine. Furious with her father. Embarrassed.’ Phil faded in and out. ‘Swears that she seduced James and not the other way around. I have a feeling it was fifty-fifty.’
‘But she’s okay? She’s not traumatised?’
‘She’s fine, don’t worry.’ Phil paused. ‘I hate to say it, but everything is—’
‘Up to me, I know.’ The incessant headache she’d endured for the past twelve hours reminded her exactly how dire this situation was. ‘So, none of the location scouts have had any luck?’
Crackle. Crackle. Weren’t these mobile phones supposed to make her job easier?
‘Not a thing. It appears that the only other surviving cinema is the one in Starlight Creek.’
‘I’ll call you once I find it. Hey,’ she said, ‘thanks for being such a great support.’
‘Why wouldn’t I? You spend all your time helping everyone else, it’s about time something went your way—I just hope it’s in time. Good luck!’
‘I’m going to need it.’
* * *
The scent of eucalyptus flowed through the open window as Claire drove past trees and sugarcane swaying in the gentle breeze. A flock of bright green parakeets squawked as they flew in changing formation, dipping and rising across the clear sky. Stoic wooden Queenslanders sat back from the road, their beauty reminding Claire why she loved this region so much. The hot and humid days were a stark contrast to Melbourne’s dry summers and cold, wet winters.
She passed a beautiful old red-brick building that hinted at secrets behind its dark brown doors, while the next property had gigantic metal sheds that reflected the sun and dominated the landscape. A stench of burnt caramel filled the air as she crossed the rail tracks that brought cane from the farms to the mill.
Farther down the road was the Starlight Creek township sign. It leaned heavily to the left, its paint peeling. The numbers stating the population had been spray-painted over with leave while you can. Any other time Claire would have found it amusing but the current pressure had quashed her ability to find anything humorous.
Her chest tightened, and the headache returned once more.
Slowing the vehicle down, she drove through the main street, surprised at how rundown most of the shops and buildings appeared. The haberdashery store’s corrugated iron roof was rusted, and the materials in the window were faded floral prints. The newsagent’s had a Coca-Cola sign that looked like it was from the 1970s and the bakery needed a good slap of paint. She reached the end of the shops and did a U-turn, taking her time driving back in case she’d missed the cinema. Surely a cinema would stand out in a town like this. Where on earth was it? Or had it been torn down just like the others?
Bright colours caught her eye and she pulled over, taken by a rainbow of ribbons, spinning mobiles and lush plants in ceramic pots. Claire got out of the car and looked for traffic. The road was deserted. She quickly crossed over to the shop and was immediately drawn to a collection of metal sculptures of native animals and bas relief murals.
Claire gently touched the grey, shiny metal, her fingers relishing the coolness.
‘They are spectacular, no?’ asked a short woman with thick, black, unruly hair. She stepped out from behind the counter and stood next to Claire. The woman gently touched a life-sized wallaby. ‘Such talent.’
‘They’re incredible.’ Claire had spent many hours wandering through galleries and art shops throughout Australia when travelling for work, but these sculptures were nothing like she’d seen before. It was as if the pieces had a living spirit. She could spend hours studying each groove, every curve … What on earth was she doing? Since when did she have time to dawdle? Turning to the woman, Claire said, ‘I’m hoping you can help me.’
‘Which one do you want?’
‘Oh!’ Claire looked longingly at the bas relief of vines and butterflies. ‘Sorry, I don’t have time to shop right now. I’m looking for the cinema.’
‘The Fitzpatrick cinema?’
‘Maybe?’ She’d tried to find it on the map, but the cinema was as elusive as the Tasmanian tiger.
‘It’s the only one in town but it hasn’t operated in years.’ The woman walked out the shop door and pointed down the street. ‘It’s right on the edge of town. Go this way and it is on your right.’
‘But it’s still standing?’ Hope clawed to the surface.
‘You’ll need to see for yourself.’
The woman w
ent back into the shop and Claire stared down the street. In a few minutes she’d know the fate of the mini-series and, quite possibly, her career.
After jumping into the ute, Claire turned on the engine and reversed. She changed gear, took a deep breath and headed down the street past more faded shops, some boarded up. Starlight Creek had an odd feeling, not quite a ghost town but certainly not buzzing with energy like Ashton. There were no mothers with prams, elderly gentlemen with dogs, not even a group of kids hanging out on a street corner. Where was the sense of community?
The cinema came into view, next to a dilapidated shoe shop and a closed barber’s shop. The cinema stood tall, all rounded corners and bold lines. The white and red paint had faded and where the rendering had peeled away, it revealed a whitish-grey stone. But even though the run-down facade was heartbreaking, Amelia Elliott’s distinctive design of curves and stars was apparent.
Claire’s shoulders slumped.
This was nothing like the photos of the cinema she’d found at the Historical Society. Admittedly, they had all been taken in the 1940s and 1950s and it had been impossible to find any recent ones. Now she understood why. Who would want to photograph such an eyesore? Though the cinema did hold an air of … something. Charm? Grandeur?
Claire exited the vehicle and made her way to the entrance. Despite the rundown state of the cinema, she felt drawn in by the opaque glass doors, tarnished silver bars, and old movie posters with curling edges in glass boxes. She instantly recognised La Dolce Vita, Psycho and G.I. Blues. These movies were from the sixties. Had it really been that long since the cinema had operated? And if that was the case, she was thankful that it hadn’t suffered at the hands of developers like the other cinemas designed by Elliott. Though judging by the ramshackle facade, she didn’t hold out much hope for the state of the interior.
Knocking on the door of a deserted cinema felt like a waste of time but she did it regardless. There was no point in coming all this way only to fall at the last hurdle. When no one answered, she tried again. Her knocks echoed in the foyer. As much as she’d hoped someone would be there, she had to face the harsh reality that this place would not be her saving grace.
Claire gave the door one last burst of heavy knocking. Her bones hurt and the skin on her hand turned red.
She looked up at the blank marquee with missing bulbs. ‘Now what?’
‘I don’t know.’
She spun to find a tall man, probably in his late twenties, with sandy hair. He walked towards her, his incredibly blue eyes framed by a verandah of dark lashes.
‘You don’t know what?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know what is next for you.’ He had a friendly smile.
‘I’m hoping someone will answer this door.’
‘Why? The cinema hasn’t operated for years.’
Claire glanced at the building. She felt sad for Amelia Elliott. ‘My powers of deduction have figured that out already.’ She held out her hand. ‘I’m Claire Montgomery.’
The man took her hand in his and they shook.
‘Luke Jackson,’ he said. ‘Are you an architectural student? It’s been a while since we’ve had anyone visit. Not many people study Amelia Elliott’s designs anymore, which is a shame because she really did get the Art Deco movement going in Australia. And I believe she led quite the dramatic life. She even—’ Luke’s laugh was light and friendly. ‘I’m sorry. I’m quite passionate about artists like Elliott and I forget that not everyone sees things the way I do. Which architecture school are you with?’
‘What? Oh, no, I’m not a student but I have been studying Amelia Elliott’s designs and life. I’m actually involved in a TV mini-series about her.’ She waited for a reaction, but Luke Jackson just stood there, still as sugarcane on a windless day. ‘I was hoping to find the owner to see if we could work out some arrangement to film here.’
‘No.’ His firm tone was a stark contrast to his pleasant demeanour only moments before.
‘Pardon?’
‘The owner would not be interested in any such thing.’
‘Do you own the place?’ she asked.
‘I don’t own it, but I am very close with the owner. There is no way they would agree to such a thing.’
‘But we’re making a mini-series about one of the most influential women of her era. We need this cinema. It’s a part of history and is the cornerstone of this entire production. If I could just talk with the owner and let them know they’ll be rewarded handsomely and—’
Luke shifted on his feet then looked to the sky. Resting his gaze on her, he said with a firm tone, ‘I can unequivocally say you are wasting your time. I do not need to consult with the owner because I already know the answer. Why do you think the cinema has been closed for so long?’
‘I have no idea. Perhaps they ran out of money for upkeep? We can help with that. Please, if I can just have a few moments with them—’
‘That won’t happen.’
Claire lifted her chin. ‘I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone who takes no for an answer.’
‘And I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone who changes their mind easily.’
‘The decision isn’t yours,’ she said.
‘Nor yours. Now please, I have things to do and you’re on private property.’
Tension gripped Claire’s shoulders and she willed her voice to remain calm. Although she wanted to break down in tears and beg, it wouldn’t get her the result she needed. She had to take a moment to regroup, rethink her strategy and find out who this elusive owner was and track them down. She also needed to convince herself she was tougher than she felt.
Claire hitched the strap of her handbag over her shoulder. ‘Well, it’s been … interesting … meeting you, Luke Jackson.’ It wasn’t exactly a pleasure. ‘I’ll be seeing you.’
‘What?’
‘I’ll be seeing you because I’ll be back—and the answer will be yes.’
ISBN: 9781489296948
TITLE: THE CODEBREAKERS
First Australian Publication 2021
Copyright © 2021 by Alli Sinclair
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